Better than Aizen
by Greenzaku
Summary: Hanatarou x Hinamori second surprise couple near end. Romance.Humor.Action. Now finished! Can Hanatarou completely replace Aizen's legacy? The 10th division interferes, with dramatic results when everyone else gets involved.
1. Chapter 1

Introduction:

I don't own Bleach and never will. With that aside, let this begin. An old-fashioned love story with plot, funnies and fluff, rated for a little swearing and violence, set a few months after Aizen's defeat. Since the storyline has not advanced to that point at the time of writing, if things take a different turn then consider the fic AU. It is however, correct factually at least up to the current Hueco Mundo arc.

This is dedicated to my favourite straight pairing for Hanatarou – my favourite Bleach character. Come to think of it, I've not seen it done before…

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The 4th Division's headquarters was a large and sprawling complex that contained not just the dormitories, offices and training rooms common to most Gotei 13 divisions but also hospital wards, examination rooms and other facilities dedicated to the medical care of shinigami. In one of its maze of hallways, a door opened slightly and a tall, slender figure stepped out. The tall, blond man was clutching a tiny cloth bag, which he slipped into the folds of his kimono. He sighed, looked about cautiously and set off down the corridor at a brisk trot. Izuru Kira took his prescription and left the building as discreetly as he came.

In the same corridor, Hanatarou swept the last of the dirt on the floor into his dustpan and finally turned around. Outside this building, even outside this corridor, he had no reservations about cheerfully greeting the 3rd Division's quiet lieutenant. But Kira had twice-weekly appointments at Clinic 26 – the mental health department. Long after the troubles with Aizen, Gin and their hollows were dealt with, the vice-captains they had manipulated and left behind still continued to deal with the psychological shock and the after-effects of having spent many decades of their young lives effectively brainwashed; not to mention the burden of their leadership responsibilities. And while all of Soul Society continued to offer them support, psychiatric conditions were still a very personal and embarrassing issue to deal with; and the 4th Division handled them with compassion mixed with healthy doses of tact, understanding and privacy.

The corridor was immaculately clean. Even without regular sweeping, it rarely got dirtied and almost never needed scrubbing. The patients here rarely had any contagious diseases, nor did they leak blood or bodily fluids which could end up causing infections in others. So Hanatarou's job was done within a few minutes, leaving him to ponder the state of the three affected lieutenants.

Izuru Kira presented a fairly straightforward case of clinical depression, coupled with a tendency towards alcoholism and insomnia. Sometimes he overworked to occupy his neurotic mind, at other times he was depressed and apathetic. Given the amount of time he had spent working with a creep like Gin Ichimaru, Hanatarou was still greatly relieved that the lieutenant hadn't ever considered self-harm and was still optimistic enough to enjoy sparring and socialising with his friends. Hanatarou decided that Kira had issues, but he would certainly recover.

Shuuhei Hisagi's captain had always acted with honour and had dealt with him with respect and total honesty. Tosen's defection was one spurred by conscience, not malice; for the blind captain had genuinely believed that Aizen's plans would lead to lasting peace. Hence Hisagi had only the sting of Tosen's misguided betrayal to live with; and he retained his own independence and high spirits. Hanatarou knew that the man was dealing very well with the situation. The healers only discreetly checked to see if he was able to cope with his workload. And they also firmly warned him against offering Kira any alcohol.

Momo Hinamori however, was a different story. Though he was probably the meekest shinigami in Soul Society, for the damage Aizen had done to her; Hanatarou had been angry enough to verbally declare his solemn desire to _'fucking shove Hisagomaru up Aizen's fucking ass and pee on his fucking grave'_. The statement had been met with stunned silence by Ichigo and Renji, followed by cautious laughter. After all, the healer wasn't the sort who readily threatened anyone with aggression; least of all had the ability to actually carry it out; so an announcement of that magnitude spoke volumes. Once he returned the broom to its cabinet, Hanatarou shouldered his bag and made his way to the 5th Division's headquarters.

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Hinamori shuffled uncomfortably in the office chair. It wasn't just that it had a high back and could not be adjusted to accommodate her diminutive size, nor was it the fact that her feet dangled several inches above the ground. The reason she heartily disliked sitting there was that it was _Aizen's_ chair. The 5th Division's vice-captain had long since grown out of her cult-like devotion to him; but it would be a long time before she would truly be able to put the memories aside and see things in perspective. For now, her former obsession had developed into a smouldering hatred tinged with shame and regret. Hinamori tried her best to forget, and she decided to focus on the chair – a fairly innocuous piece of Aizen at worst. It was a completely ordinary wooden chair – Aizen had seemed like an ordinary man…no there she was thinking of him again…

She kicked backward, intending to pull herself and the chair towards the desk. Unfortunately, even when she stretched she was unable to get her toes to touch the floor in order to lever herself forward. Hinamori gave a high-pitched snort of annoyance and pushed herself off the chair, pulling it to the desk before climbing back into it. Memories or no, she would have to arrange to get the useless piece of furniture replaced; maybe Hisagi would have better use for it. She couldn't use her own chair – it now sat forlornly in several pieces after she destroyed it in her most recent fit of grief-induced rage. So with a more practical turn of mind, she commandeered Aizen's unoccupied old chair and took it to her desk.

But now a new problem presented itself. Hinamori's desk, like her chair, was built according to her height (as ordered by Aizen). Now her thighs were pinched between Aizen's high chair and her low desk. She was now thoroughly exasperated. Well, there was no hope for it. Hinamori had to use Aizen's desk as well. It was as if the former captain had conspired to make life difficult for her for as long as possible after his departure. Sighing, she took her stack of papers off the desk, heaved herself out of the chair, pulled the chair to Aizen's desk, and then sat herself there. Placing her papers on the desk, Hinamori bent over her work. It was nothing out of the ordinary. The 11th officer was requesting leave due to a minor injury. A form requested her signed approval for the purchase of forty new wooden naginatas for the training hall. A five day-old, crumpled copy of The New York Times kept her informed of developments in the human world. The 6th officer's report listed in excruciating detail the 18,745 soul burials and 309 hollows dealt with by his squad's members over the last month; could she please issue the appropriate paychecks. More paperwork lurked under the formidable pile, not including the fairly urgent order for another Hinamori-sized chair. When she wasn't performing soul burials herself or killing hollows, Hinamori found that acting as Aizen's replacement could be mind-numbingly dull.

She noticed an additional thing. Unlike her desk, Aizen's had drawers. Hinamori's concentration wavered. Dreading what she would find, she took a deep breath and pulled the first one open.

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Contrary to popular belief, even the lowly 4th Division did not have to deal with the issue of garbage disposal. Thanks to an ingenious system of one-way portals installed by Kisuke Urahara during his period of command, the various divisions had transdimensional garbage chutes that emptied into appropriate places in the human world. Hence Hinamori's smashed chair found its way into a recycling bin in Scotland, where it would eventually see the light of day again as a stack of cardboard cartons. What the 4th Division had to deal with was rubbish that was carelessly left lying about. Yamada Hanatarou was no exception; for now he was sweeping the floor outside the 5th Division's head office. As he walked past a window however, he heard a feminine shriek and instinctively ducked. A small, shiny object flew out of the open window and shattered on the floor. Hanatarou bent over to have a closer look at it. Something stirred faintly in the back of his mind and suddenly he remembered and jumped back in alarm. Hanatarou let out a near-identical squeal himself, as if the object had transformed into a particularly vicious arrancar now bent on ripping him to pieces.

But it was just Aizen's old and completely un-magical spare pair of glasses lying on the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Hanatarou cautiously lifted his broom and prodded Aizen's glasses gingerly. No hollows materialised in the sky, and no explosions occurred. The only reaction he got was the broken shards of the glass lenses falling out of their frames with a sad tinkle. He swept the glass away before someone (most likely himself) could step on it, and picked up the frame.

It was a good, sturdy frame. Despite having fallen from a considerable height, it was not damaged. Perhaps he could take it back and cut new plastic lenses, to protect his eyes from bloody splatters during operations. Hanatarou was a thrifty shinigami, encouraged by a smaller income due to being unable to venture forth to carry out soul burials as often as those from other divisions could. In case he forgot, he put the lens-less spectacles on and looked up. Turning to face the window, he found himself face to Aizen-bespectacled face with an incredulous Momo Hinamori. In a terrible instant, Hanatarou realised his predicament. He tore the spectacles off, dropping them in the process; and stammered an apology.

"Uh…g-gomenasai…f-fukoutaicho…"

Hinamori frowned to hide her own embarrassment. She had just screamed like a little girl in front of a lowly officer from a different division, an action not becoming of a vice-captain at all. She should have expected to find something like that in Aizen's top drawer, but her own paranoia and mental flashbacks when she saw herself reflected in those lenses had triggered a very emotional reaction. Granted, the healer outside had squeaked also, but at least he had the excuse of surprise. Looking aside, she cleared her throat and addressed Hanatarou as coolly as she could manage, despite her own distaste.

"I'm sorry to have startled you. Please do what you will with the glasses, or throw them away."

Hanatarou had by this time gone pale, but the statement seemed to calm him. He addressed her in return.

"Hai, fukoutaicho…". He bent over to pick up the frame, and tried to put it inside his kimono, but it was already full of other pieces of junk that Hanatarou had salvaged for the day. A handkerchief, a small empty bottle, a spool of thread and other odds and ends fell to the ground instead, which Hanatarou hastily grabbed and shoved back into his clothes. Next he tried to stuff the glasses out of sight into the white bag on his back. Hanatarou found the opening and fumbled the large button open. Then he tried to slip the glasses inside, but unknown to him, he simply ended up releasing them to fall onto the ground behind him. Hinamori continued to watch the clumsy creature in front of her, fascinated. When Hanatarou thought he was ready, he smiled meekly at her and turned to leave.

"Arigato, fukoutai…_crack_...cho…" The last, pathetic remains of Aizen's eyewear broke under Hanatarou's foot. The flustered man finally sighed and swept the frame into his dustpan where it joined the shattered lenses. This was not turning out to be a good day. 3rd Seat Iemura Yasochika would be furious if he ever found out.

As he beat a hasty retreat, Hinamori seemed to ignore him, but something prompted Hanatarou to turn and look back at her as he half walked, half scampered away. To his horror, she was still staring after him, and he hastily turned away and kept walking. But it seemed to Hanatarou her face now bore an expression of amusement. Still, he decided that he could just be imagining things and did not want to risk worsening the situation, and soon departed the scene.

Behind Hanatarou, Hinamori withdrew back into the office. But this time, she was giggling. She knew her every reaction had scared the poor healer and was a little ashamed of that, but who would have thought that anyone could take something of Aizen's and turn it, however unwittingly; into the basis of a stand-up comedy act? In the meantime, she had to go outside to fetch something. In his rush to get out of her sight, 7th Seat Yamada Hanatarou had unfortunately dropped and left his zanpakutou behind. She would have to return it later, but for now; Hinamori placed Hisagomaru on Aizen's desk in front of her, and began to tackle the small mountain of paperwork, pausing occasionally for a laugh.

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* * *

"So you mean to say he took Aizen's old glasses, and left his zanpakutou behind instead?" 10th Division Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at Hinamori; though inwardly, even he found the incident funny. Still, her reaction to the spectacles was a matter of greater concern. Picking up the nondescript-looking blade (for it had slid out of its scabbard), Hitsugaya couldn't help thinking about the effect that Aizen had on everyone. Somewhere in the 4th Division was a very, very worried man. 

"Hinamori, I'm more concerned about you. I'm glad you aren't having wet dreams over Aizen anymore," Hinamori blushed as he continued, "but if you are to realise your full potential and replace him as Captain, you have to put this behind you. The 5th Division needs a leader they can have faith in, not one that panics when she sees an old pair of spectacles. I know it's been hard…" Hitsugaya rambled on, trying to offer his comfort and support, but Hinamori's mind was already elsewhere.

Hard?! Had he any idea what she had been through? First she had pined for Aizen, before she eventually came to the cruel, crushing realisation that he was not the hero she always believed him to be and made the focus of her life. Hinamori remembered the times she woke up crying at night, recalling Aizen's past actions in a new and chilling perspective; and the times he had touched her, and held her…and the times she did…things with him that made wet dreams seem trivial in comparison. Now there was only hatred of him - and herself - for what he had done; what she had done. She most definitely wanted to forget about him, for even his memory filled her with dread. Hinamori felt tears coming to her eyes.

Noticing the danger signs, Hitsugaya quickly changed the subject. "Hanatarou is probably frantic over the loss of his zanpakutou by now. You should get it returned," he said. Hinamori took a deep breath and nodded her assent. But she surprised both herself and Hitsugaya with her spoken reply.

"Yes Shiro-chan! I'll take it over to the 4th Division right now. Goodbye!"

Hitsugaya's boyish face creased with annoyance at his old nickname, before he raised his eyebrows in astonishment. Hinamori was effectively a captain now and she could easily command someone else to return it for her. Still, as she skipped off down the path with the sword, he decided that the girl's emotional health would benefit from anything, even a little exercise; that would take Aizen off her mind and involve her in the present.

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* * *

"Good evening, Kotetsu-fukoutaicho." Hinamori was standing in front of the lanky female vice-captain of the 4th division. "Is 7th Seat Yamada Hanatarou in?" 

Isane smiled, eying Hanatarou's zanpakutou. Only minutes ago, she had watched the man wear himself thin scrambling all over the place looking for it. "He should be either in his room at this time, or heading to the canteen for dinner. Shall I call him for you?" she said.

"Yes, thank you." Hinamori waited patiently while Isane rang a bell and summoned another shinigami, who ran off to fetch Hanatarou. Turning back to Hinamori, Isane said, "It's a long walk back to the 5th Division. Would you like to join us for dinner? Our food is simple and plain, but nourishing. And we don't often have guests from the 5th."

"I'm very thankful. Yes, I'd love to accept the offer." Hinamori waited only a couple of minutes before Hanatarou arrived. He took one look at Hinamori, then his zanpakutou, and simply goggled for a moment before regaining his composure and thanking her profusely, his mind still racing over the incident with Aizen's glasses earlier. But she only smiled at him.

"Come, Hanatarou. Aren't we going for dinner?"


	3. Chapter 3

Hinamori and Hanatarou sat together. The canteen was packed with 4th Division shinigami, most of which recognised and greeted Hinamori respectfully when they saw her. There was little separation among the ranks; seated officers rubbed shoulders with their subordinates and queued with them to receive their evening meal. Apparently, only Captain Unohana dined in private. At the other end of their table, Isane nibbled meditatively on a chunk of sweet potato and watched them out of the corner of her eye. Hinamori's invitation to dinner was not just an act of hospitality; it also gave the keen-eyed vice-captain a chance to observe Hinamori and reflect on her current emotional state. Hanatarou patted his zanpakutou to reassure himself of its continued presence as he chatted with Hinamori.

At first, their conversation had been awkward. Hanatarou was still shy after the incident earlier in the day. Hinamori desperately wanted to avoid talking about Aizen. While the healer understood that Hinamori would have to confront these issues during counselling, it simply did not seem appropriate to discuss the former captain during a casual dinner conversation. They fumbled at first, before Hinamori turned the subject to Hanatarou's strange collection of items. He blushed and smiled wistfully.

"I find a lot of things while cleaning the place. Some of it can be recycled or resold. It saves money." He didn't mention that he kept some of the odds and ends simply because they looked pretty on his shelves; not wanting to sound like a packrat.

"That's very practical of you Hana-chan."

"For example, the 4th Division cleans old bottles and uses them to store medication…," Hanatarou's voice trailed off in surprise, "wait…_Hana-chan_?" He couldn't believe she had just called him that. Isane swallowed quickly, her eyes wide. But Hinamori simply grinned broadly at Hanatarou.

"Mm-hmm. And stop calling me 'fukoutaicho' all the time. It's so formal! Just call me Hinamori." She giggled at Hanatarou's stunned expression.

"But…"

"No 'buts', Hana-chan. You're the first person that's made me laugh for a very, very long time," Hinamori replied, lowering her voice so Isane could not hear, "and in a way, I really look up to you. You deal with hard, thankless work all the time in the 4th, yet you still remain truly content, cheerful and kind to everyone. I wish I could be so forgiving."

"Thank you, fu-…Hinamori." Hanatarou simply didn't know how to respond. He glanced helplessly at Isane, who gave him a barely perceptible shrug. He was on his own now. His heart fluttered with both pride at her compliment, and apprehension at her casual demeanour. Whoever knew that the vice-captain could be so warm and friendly with someone of his rank? Granted, it was well known that Hinamori was good-natured and gentle, but Hanatarou was so used to being treated with condescension or open disdain by women that her attitude completely disarmed him. He decided to take a small, brave step forward.

"I, uh…keep some of the trinkets I find. Want to see my collection?" As soon as he had spoken, Hanatarou wondered if he should regret it. He had just proudly offered to show his huge pile of discarded junk to a visiting vice-captain.

"Of course!"

Delighted, Hanatarou stood up. He raised his hand above the chatter and din of the dining hall, and all the shinigami present fell silent. Speaking loudly, his shrill voice addressed the crowd.

"7th Seat Yamada Hanatarou, 14th Paramedic Squad Leader… 14th Squad is rostered to supply eight members for tonight's shift at nursing sections 2a and 2b; as well as a further three members to remain on standby at the maternity ward. Two representatives are needed to carry and store the incoming shipment of IV units at Sereitei East Gate. Three members are to be present at the Shinigami Academy's outdoor sports complex for the 11th Division's rugby challenge event…" The latter was followed by an audible groan from Hanatarou's squad. "I need four of you to report to Captain Soifon and accompany the 2nd Division's hollow-slaying sortie at an hour before midnight. The remainder who are on active duty will carry out cleaning duties at the headquarters of the 7th Division. I will now announce the names of those assigned to each task…"

Hinamori gazed at Hanatarou quizzically. Of course, she should have guessed that being the 7th Seat, Hanatarou would be in a position of command. But his mild-mannered and unassuming appearance apparently concealed a capable and respected leader; at least among the downtrodden shinigami of the 4th Division. Hanatarou seemed to know every member of his squad by name. When he had finished, the man sat down again and addressed her.

"I've made the announcements for this evening. Now let's go see my collection…" Hanatarou was smiling slightly. Hinamori was even more stunned. A lesser man would have tried to see if she was impressed by his tone of command, but Hanatarou's innocent face displayed no sign of arrogance whatsoever. Nope, he was simply making the announcements early so he could take off and show her the collection!

However, as Hanatarou started to get up again, he felt a tug on the side of his hakama. He turned and saw Hinamori smirking cheekily at him.

"Not so fast, Hana-chan. I haven't finished eating yet!"

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Later that night, Hanatarou and Hinamori sat in the former's bedroom, gazing at the shelves that lined the opposite wall. The shelves themselves were salvaged planks of wood that the former had attached to the wall and adorned with his treasures. Entranced, Hinamori's eyes drifted from one item to the next. Surprisingly, most of them were useful or at least attractive – Hanatarou had taken the time to mend and clean many of them. They literally gleamed. Taking a small, blue bottle shaped like a carp from a shelf, Hanatarou explained its history. 

"I found this one near the lake at the 13th Division. It smelled a bit like perfume, but of course that's all washed off now. It's too pretty to use just for storing pills. So I've put some small hairclips in it; which I gathered from everywhere." He tipped the contents of the bottle into his hand. Hinamori's eyes alighted on half of a bright, white ceramic headpiece. She exclaimed, "That's Kuchiki-taicho's kenseiken! Well, part of it at least…"

Hanatarou grinned sheepishly. "I found it when we were taking him away after Aizen stabbed him; I offered it to return it afterward but he didn't want it back. I would have glued it back together, but I couldn't find all the pieces…" Then he realised that he had just mentioned Aizen, and his voice trailed off, "…I'm sorry." But now, Hinamori's face bore a dark expression. She had learnt soon after she recovered that she wasn't Aizen's only casualty.

"Never mind. It's unfair for me to blame anyone for mentioning him. But it's like he's still everywhere in the 5th, and I can't escape the constant reminders of his former presence. I really hate it. There's that monstrous desk in the head office, the documents and letters I receive that still have his name on it, and all of his personal trash in his room which no-one wants to clean out…" Hinamori growled under her breath.

Hanatarou just listened sympathetically. But when Hinamori mentioned Aizen's personal effects, an idea began to form in his head.

"Hey…Hinamori, if you and the 5th don't need the stuff anymore, I've got an idea." He bent over to speak to her; and when he was finished, both were smirking. It was time to call Kira and Shuuhei.


	4. Chapter 4

A week later, Hinamori sat back and stretched in one of two new, modern, wheeled; and above all, adjustable - chairs in _her _office. The cut-price garage sale of Sosuke Aizen's, Ichimaru Gin's and Kaname Tosen's old items had gone well. Their clothing, furniture and other personal effects were now scattered among dozens of outer South Rukongai households, far from the eyes of their troubled former vice-captains. The giant desk was last seen disappearing into the distance in the back of an oxcart. Hanatarou did not keep any of the loot for himself, but he did save one particular item for a special friend of his.

That night, as he lay drinking on the veranda outside his room, the 8th Division's Captain Kyouraku Shunsui heard a loud, porcine grunt and looked up. He glimpsed the dim figure of a stout man around the same height as Aizen wearing a bandana, goggles _and_ the uniform of the 5th Division's captain riding away in the moonlight on the back of an HUGE pig. Shunsui turned to his sake bottle with intense suspicion. That had to be some bloody strong stuff…

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As the days went by, Hanatarou and Hinamori drifted closer together. Hanatarou soon learnt to run inside the boundaries of the 5th Division's turf when being pursued by 11th Division bullies - Tobiume; Hinamori's zanpakutou, would settle the rest. For her part, Hinamori often sought out Hanatarou for solace whenever she was troubled by memories of Aizen. Yet neither really seemed to admit their growing affection for the other. Finally, Hanatarou managed to arrange to go with a detachment of his own squad to accompany Hinamori's team on a hollow-hunting expedition. After watching Hanatarou and no less than three other 4th Division shinigami struggle comically to slay a single hollow; Hinamori vowed to train the healer to be a better swordsman herself. He enthusiastically accepted the offer, and began regular lessons at her division.

Hanatarou breathed deeply and focused on the angle of his zanpakutou as Hinamori guided him from behind, her arms holding his. He loved the feel of Hinamori's hands against his skin. They were warm and gentle, and yet possessed the firm muscle and grip of an accomplished fighter. Back when he was an Academy student, sword practice had been a time of confusion and acute embarrassment for him; but here, Hinamori's soft words of encouragement and good-natured laughs of reproach allowed him to relax and pay attention to his lessons. This continued for a couple of months until he was able to spar with her with sealed swords. Though Hinamori nearly always won, for the first time in decades, Hanatarou actually believed he was improving.

One day, Hanatarou arrived for his regular training session only to find a third person there. Izuru Kira was standing next to Hinamori, his arms folded in doubt.

"So you are sure you want me to fight Hanatarou?" he drawled, addressing the other vice-captain. She turned to him and whispered her reply so that Hanatarou could not hear. Behind the healer, the single gate to the walled exercise compound clanged shut. As he spun around in alarm, all he saw was Abarai Renji grinning wordlessly at him, a totally effective barrier between himself and all possible escape. The moment he turned back, Kira pounced.

"EEEK!" Hanatarou screamed and dashed to one side, not having had enough time to draw Hisagomaru. Kira landed where he was standing milliseconds before, with Wabisuke in hand, fortunately still sealed. But Hanatarou kept running and did not turn around until he managed to draw his zanpakutou in mid-stride. He spun around clumsily only to find Kira directly behind him, bringing his sword down to strike. Somehow, Hisagomaru flew upward and blocked the attack, though the impact sent Hanatarou reeling.

"Your stance must be stable in order to block effectively!" Hinamori shouted at Hanatarou from the centre of the square. The healer was too busy to respond as he rolled away from Kira. He managed to steady himself; and in defiance of his own sanity, he went on the offensive. Kira's eyebrows raised in puzzlement as Hanatarou came at him. Although he was able to block Hanatarou's swings easily, he realised that the smaller shinigami possessed a wiry strength and stamina born from many years of menial labour. He sensed that his opponent was still not really at ease with wielding a katana, and Hanatarou fought with exaggerated movements that were theoretically correct but exhaustingly inefficient. Then Kira attacked. Hanatarou parried a couple of times before fleeing again, but now Kira flash-stepped and appeared directly in front of him.

"Duck when you parry. You can't shunpo yet so that's the best you can do to evade!" Hinamori called out. This time Hanatarou twisted aside when he blocked, a motion Hinamori had trained him to do; and Kira had to adjust to follow his movement. The normally sad-faced man smiled; Hanatarou had been trained well, and he writhed to and fro as Kira increased the pace and difficulty of his attacks. The vice-captain held back, wanting to push Hanatarou to his limit, but not so hard that it ended the fight too soon. So when his opponent made a wrong move or was too slow to block (and there weren't actually that many instances), Kira would shake his head and growl with displeasure instead of finishing him off.

This torture went on for three more intolerable minutes for Hanatarou, who was beginning to tire and stumble. Then suddenly Kira withdrew. Hanatarou was swinging his katana forcefully at that time and simply slashed thin air. He watched in horror as a nimbus of light surrounded Kira's blade.

"_Omote wo agero_…Wabisuke," Kira uttered, activating his initial release. The blade of his zanpakutou bent at right angles twice. Hanatarou was instantly cornered, and when he raised Hisagomaru to block, he found the weight of his zanpakutou doubling, and then quadrupling… Just when he was desperately contemplating how he could obtain his own shikai and shrink his zanpakutou, Hanatarou found himself heaving his forty-eight pound katana forward to attack again, but Kira simply deflected the strike and turned aside. Hisagomaru now weighed ninety-six pounds, and Hanatarou gave a hoarse yelp as its weight and his own momentum carried him forward and into the ground. The cool blade of Kira's sword pressed lightly into the base of his neck.

"Urrgh…" was the only sound he could manage. Now Hanatarou was too tired to stand as well. But he found himself being lifted off the ground and onto somebody's muscular shoulders. Hanatarou stared into the tattooed arms of Renji, and then at Hinamori. She was cheering. Izuru Kira walked in front of him, and Hanatarou strained to lift his head for a better look. One slender hand slid under his chin and raised it for him. Hanatarou was amazed at how different Kira looked when he grinned. Kira's free hand rose to gently tousle his hair, and he turned to Hinamori.

"Hanatarou's session normally ends much later than this. So I guess we _all_ have time for a celebratory drink right?" Hanatarou remembered that Kira was supposed to be off alcohol and tried to voice his disapproval; but he was abruptly cut off by a vicious glare from the same man.

"I've been abstaining for two bloody months, Hanatarou. Your drinks are on me, and until the mass-doubling effect of my zanpakutou wears off, we'll just have to carry you to the pub." Kira put Hanatarou's head down and bent to retrieve the healer's sword. He grunted with exertion as he did so, and the gang exited the square with Hanatarou slung over Renji's back like a heavy sack of rice.

* * *

Later that evening they were joined by Shuuhei, and the 'boys' (as Hinamori liked to call them) were slumped either on the table or the floor and incoherently trying to discuss each other's sex lives. Hinamori herself sat propped against a cushion while Hanatarou lay in her lap. Both were barely conscious. But even in her inebriated state, Hinamori couldn't help thinking how _beautiful_ Hanatarou looked in the warm glow of the firelight, and how incredibly lucky she was to have met a man like him. When she was done telling him how proud she was of him, Hinamori bent to kiss him on the forehead and got a barely audible gasp in response.

The healer had never been so drunk before. His addled mind detachedly noted the effect the alcohol had on his own perceptions. Maybe he would regret everything in the morning. But whatever the outcome of the earlier battle; just for tonight, he could imagine that she was his champion, and the one who would love him and guide him for always. Hanatarou stirred and gazed upwards at the angel above. He raised his hand limply to caress her face.

"Thank you, Hinamori-kun… I love you." As the world faded around him, Hanatarou couldn't help but sigh as those gentle, strong hands embraced him closer; and he fell asleep in her arms.


	5. Interlude, and author's notes

"Dear diary… Izuru Kira was hauled nearly unconscious out of the Farting Kitsune Pub last night. He has obviously disobeyed the doctor's orders to stay away from alcohol! His friends Renji and Shuuhei must be a bad influence on him and he will receive a telling off during his next appointment!"

"But worst of all,_**I**_ had to fetch Hanatarou back to our division. How could someone like him be such an irresponsible little twat? And he said he was _fighting _with Kira. How could that have happened?"

"Oh, I know…it must be that Hinamori-kun of his. All day he talks about her when he is off-duty, if he hasn't actually left to see her. I wonder if Kira is the jealous sort, but I doubt it since Hanatarou said it was he who took him to the pub. And worst of all, I was confronted outside by none other than the short-arse Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, demanding to know what Hinamori was doing with Hanatarou. I said that they were probably in love…as if I can't see the obvious. He left without a word. How rude…"

"And people here call _me_ an emo-dude. So here I am writing in my diary about how unfair this is. MY LIFE SUCKS!!!"

Absorbed, 3rd Seat Yasochika Iemura of the 4th Division finished his daily diary entry and spoken diatribe. Once he closed the book, the small crowd of shinigami that snuck up behind him crumpled into peals of mad laughter.

**Author's notes:**

Whew, I've made it halfway through the story. The 5th chapter is very nearly done and the ending is already well-planned, but I felt that a break at this point would not be inappropriate. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, especially from SamuraiJedi, Kokaku and Kemious…really, anyone that had offered me encouragement. Prior to this story I had written a small Bleach drabble and a pair of Gundam fics that didn't get much feedback due to the use of an unusual theme and obscure canon characters, so I was very disillusioned for a while when it came to writing. Then the inspiration for this one came along and it was too irresistible to refuse.

I realise that I did not go into much detail on the process of writing this fic. So at the risk of boring my readers (that is, you), I would like to say what an incredible experience it has been. When I first envisioned a romantic and rather comedic pairing between Hanatarou and Hinamori, I had no idea that it would gradually blossom into a multi-chapter story with an actual plot. But after seeing how the various ideas could be coherently knitted together at the end, I decided to give it a go.

One of the greatest challenges was to make the characters seem human and yet inspiring. This is particularly difficult with Hinamori as she is understandably often characterised as being, quoting Crescent Venus (another reviewer) a 'shrieking basket case', which is putting it mildly. But when I looked at things in perspective, Hinamori acted the way many people do when they first emerge from cult brainwashing and receive support. The denial, addiction and finally, crushing guilt is the legacy that these manipulative organisations leave behind. But those that recover are much stronger for the experience. For this story, I drew upon that as well as the simple fact that Hinamori is a shinigami who is skilled enough to be a vice-captain; and capable as well as generous enough to impart these skills to others.

Writing Hanatarou's strong side is easier as we see glimpses of it in the canon, like when he goes to confront Byakuya…without a sword. But I have to admit that in general…he would suck as a fighter. Thus it was a real challenge to write him into a battle that didn't insult his opponent's abilities; coupled with the restriction on not killing Hanatarou outright or causing too much structural damage to the surrounding infrastructure! Enter Izuru Kira, wielder of a mass-doubling zanpakutou that doesn't randomly smash nearby objects or summon unruly monsters…

Well I hope you enjoy the coming chapters. Things will begin to heat up for the couple. You can't have a love story without conflict, but I promise, it _will_ end well.

Greenzaku


	6. Chapter 5

A week after she unleashed Kira on an unsuspecting Hanatarou, Hinamori found herself sitting alone in her room. Hanatarou had managed to gain permission to visit the human world again; this time to visit Ichigo and his companions and carry messages and goods between them and Soul Society, and he would not return until the next evening. As she grew closer to the healer; her room began to fill up with more salvaged items that he meticulously transformed into little gifts and ornaments. No trace remained of Aizen's existence. Now Hinamori sat on her bed and toyed with a small carving of a terrier dog that had one of its paws broken off and carefully replaced with a rough chunk of wood of about the right dimensions. Damaged or no, it was quite an attractive piece; and she could see why Hanatarou thought it deserved a second chance on her shelf.

A second chance; Hanatarou said, was what she needed to give herself as well. Once he was gone, Hinamori had the solitude she needed to contemplate her relationship with him. Why had she fallen in love with Hanatarou? She remembered the girl she once was and how she became infatuated with a man who was handsome, strong, wise, brave and gentle…and who ended up killing a part of her the day he stabbed her. No, Hinamori corrected herself… it died a long, long time ago when she chose to let herself become completely dependant on one person as the core of her being and only source of support. She killed her _self_ long before Aizen planned her death.

So how did this explain her feelings towards Hanatarou? Hinamori decided that part of it had to be a knee-jerk reaction. Hanatarou was the polar opposite of Aizen in uncountable ways. He was wretched enough for her to kill with her bare fists, clumsy enough to trip on a seamlessly polished stone floor, and silly enough to mop himself into a corner. Perhaps she loved him because she subconsciously wanted someone so unlike Aizen that he would be the least likely to turn out the same way; however illogical that reasoning may be. Objectively speaking, Hanatarou gave her the impression of complete honesty, just like Aizen once did. But had she fallen into the same trap in a different guise?

This was a disturbing thought for Hinamori, but after some consideration, she decided that it was not the case. For one thing, Hanatarou couldn't hurt her even if he tried. Not only was he severely lacking in both combat skill and deception; she could choose to not give her heart to him, so that it could never be broken…

Hinamori stopped herself suddenly. She would love who she chose and with her whole heart. For if Hanatarou did the same and she refused, she would do him a great dishonour. And that left one, last reason: as she loved, trained and protected Hanatarou, she rediscovered the independence and spirit that she had forsaken so long ago in favour of complete emotional dependence. Where Aizen had groomed her to remain as a devoted child, Hanatarou's love allowed her to grow and mature. Hinamori learnt to be weak for Aizen's comfort, and strong for Hanatarou's protection.

What if she had simply turned the tables and made Hanatarou dependant on her? This too, was a chilling thought. Hinamori dwelt on this a while longer, pausing only to replace the carving back on its shelf. After some serious consideration, she discounted that notion too.

Hanatarou had always been, and will always be, Hanatarou. He understood he was outwardly weak and was unashamed to seek help when necessary. And yet, Hinamori guessed that somehow, Hanatarou _knew_ his own strength and directed it with his conscience. She could train his swordwork and combat reflexes; but Hanatarou's moral compass, self-respect and inner courage needed no instruction at all.

She was jolted out of her reverie by a knock on her door. Peering out of the window, she spotted the pale spikes of Hitsugaya's hair and opened the door to admit him. The Gotei 13 captain and childhood friend stepped into her room and gazed about in surprise. Within two months, Hinamori's bedroom had gone from being nearly bare to overflowing with bric-a-brac. "Good afternoon, Hinamori," he said.

"Hello, Shiro-chan!" Hinamori grinned with mischief. Now that her guilt and sadness had lifted, she was recovering her old sense of humour. Hitsugaya groaned inwardly. _Must…not…stoop to calling her 'Bedwetter Momo' again…_He took a deep breath and decided to cut straight to the point.

"I know you are together with Yamada Hanatarou."

"Mmm-hmm," came the reply.

"You love him don't you? He is a fine man…"

Hinamori simply beamed; clasping her hands together and thanking him for his approval. At one point, cold Hitsugaya had been the only person who dared to challenge her to seek a new life for herself in the shadow of Aizen's betrayal; and it would be months before she realised the depth of his understanding and concern towards her. The solemn captain was inwardly overjoyed at her emotional recovery, but also a tad concerned. "But don't you think this might be a bit too rushed? Only a few months ago, you were seriously troubled. Have you been taking your medication?"

Hinamori glanced reflexively at the little bottle of antidepressant pills on her bedside table. Yes, she had been taking them. She was ashamed of it, but there was nothing that she would hide from Shiro-chan or Hanatarou. She nodded shyly at Hitsugaya.

"That's very good of you," he admitted. But this revelation meant that he had to put his plans into action. _How could I possibly tell her that the antidepressants make it hard for me to discern if she is truly content with Hanatarou, or if she is just slap-happy because of the drugs? _

_Trust Hinamori to fall in love with the first man who puts on Aizen's glasses! _

* * *

The next day… 

Hanatarou was returning from the human world. He'd arrived at Kurakara Town on a Tuesday morning and pestered Uryu Ishida into allowing him to pass as the Quincy's younger brother at school. Ichigo had already played host to multiple shinigami and already exhausted his supply of imaginary siblings and cousins as far as school authorities were concerned. Hanatarou remembered the lethal glare Ishida gave Ichigo when the latter helpfully suggested that the resemblance between them was uncanny. According to him, Hanatarou looked like a miniature Ishida without the glasses and an obsessive urge to put sewing pins and arrows in everything.

He stayed overnight at Ichigo's place and shyly told him and Orihime about his new relationship status. Ichigo simply congratulated him, but Orihime became terribly excited and insisted on spending most of the night giving him helpful advice on dating as well as grooming tips. So after a perfumed bath, haircut, manicure and clothes shopping trip, Hanatarou returned to Soul Society bearing a passing resemblance to Orihime's rather ambitious vision of male beauty, and bearing an armful of food and flowers for the romantic candlelit dinner she had helped to plan.

As he stepped out of the portal, he was greeted by the buxom figure of Rangiku Matsumoto. The lieutenant took one look at him and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Hello, Hanatarou. Going on a date tonight?" Reflexively, she arched her back and stretched; a gesture that thrust her most womanly assets forward to strain against the opening of her kimono. Hanatarou could not help but stare for a brief second before looking down and blushing furiously.

"Er…hai, fukoutaichou." The shinigami tried to walk away as fast as he could without being impolite.

"Aww, Hanatarou...don't go away yet. I need your help…I've got period pains and I think I'd like to ask you for some advice in private."

Once again, Hanatarou was unable to escape his fate. He was helplessly dragged away by the lieutenant to sit and chat with her on a bench in a nearby garden. When Hanatarou finished his doctor's speech on the various causes and cures for menstrual pains and the availability of painkillers at the 4th Division's medical centre, Matsumoto begged him to examine her abdomen, 'in case its something more serious'. Before he could protest, Matsumoto pulled her kimono out of her hakama and lifted it to just under her breasts. After looking around nervously, he bent to examine her. For all her heartfelt lamentations, he could not find precisely where she claimed she was sore…

"Oh Hanatarou, I've heard about other medical conditions that women can get; from the posters at the Kurosaki Clinic. Please don't tell anyone else but I'm _four-hundred-and-thirty_…" She whispered the latter under her breath "…and I don't know if I'm at risk of breast cancer. Dr. Kurosaki says he knows more about treating humans than shinigami so he said I should self-examine regularly."

Hanatarou stopped trying to look away. Entranced, he waited until she asked the inevitable question.

"Could you teach me how?"


	7. Chapter 6

Hanatarou watched as Matsumoto started opening her kimono, almost in slow motion. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he knew that most male shinigami in Soul Society would kill to be in his position. He tried to focus on thoughts of Hinamori, even though he was forced to admit that the call of duty had never been so alluring before…

_Er…excuse me…_

"…"

_Wake up, Hanatarou…_

"…"

_It's me. _

"…**Hisagomaru…?"**

_I didn't want to disturb you, …but I like Hinamori-kun too, and I don't think she's going to be happy…_

"……**!!!!!!!!!"**

Hanatarou came to his senses in a flash. As the other, quieter, and above all, _hormone-less_ presence in his mind slid back into his subconscious, he tore his gaze away. In his scabbard, Hisagomaru; otherwise known as Gourd of Purity, hummed a soft, gentle note of approval audible only to him. Hanatarou stammered a recommendation that Matsumoto ask Unohana-taichou about women's issues instead. His withdrawal was aided somewhat by the beeping of his cellphone's alarm.

"Fukoutaichou…I need to go and meet Hinamori now. I'm glad to have been of service …"

"Are you sure you can't teach me? Oh well…I guess that would take too much of your time away from Hinamori. It's a pity…I wanted to ask you about something called cervical cancer too; and…"

"Sumimasen…I can't spare any more time. I'm actually off-duty. Please visit the 4th if you need any more help…goodbye…" Hanatarou bowed and swiftly turned away. He couldn't escape the feeling that he'd just narrowly avoided a fate worse than death. He sped off with his chastity and fidelity intact, and shut the gate behind him.

"Bye-bye…" Matsumoto called out, almost resignedly.

Hanatarou's legs were a blur of motion as he bolted down streets, across courtyards and past hundreds of curious shinigami. At one point he barrelled past Yumichika Ayasegawa, who recognised him and wondered vaguely when Hanatarou decided to be a metrosexual too. Hanatarou barely acknowledged him and kept running. 11th Division officers be damned, tonight was _the_ night. And Hinamori was waiting.

* * *

Outside the 4th Division, it was dark. The shinigami within had long since lit their lanterns to continue their unending chores, and the buildings glowed brightly in contrast to the shadows of the moonless night. A solitary figure walked out of the main reception, casting a long shadow on the ground. Although the shadow was stretched nearly fifteen metres long due to the low angle of the lanterns' illumination, it was still very noticeably, unmistakeably _female_… 

"Have you found them, Matsumoto?"

The woman in question held her cellphone to her ear as her captain spoke. The shinigami of the 4th Division all claimed that Hanatarou had left to see Hinamori. _This was a great thing_, they said; _since he began seeing her she's improved tremendously. But sorry, we don't know where they meet up_…Matsumoto paced in boredom outside the medical division after confirming that Hanatarou certainly wasn't in.

"No, taicho. Are they at the 5th?"

"If I found them here, I wouldn't be asking you."

She conceded that Hitsugaya had a point.

"We've eliminated the possibilities. Izuru Kira, Abarai Renji, Hisagi Shuuhei and even Rukia haven't seen either of them since Hanatarou left for the human world two days ago. They don't know the 2nd, 7th and 8th Division's shinigami very well and wouldn't choose to honeymoon there. The remaining divisions are completely suicidal options. Even Hanatarou can't be that stupid."

"Was a one-hour headstart for Hanatarou a bit too much?"

"If you were not distracted for_ two_ hours at the cosmetics store on your way to the 4th, probably not…"

Matsumoto decided to change the subject.

"Since we can't find them, we'll just have to meet up and head back. The green fountain would be a good place I guess."

"Hmmph."

The line went dead. Rangiku Matsumoto knew that Hitsugaya would be at the fountain though, and departed quickly to meet with him.

* * *

_Hanatarou, do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into? Have you sat by her bedside, as she lay comatose after the stabbing? Have you heard her cry and deny the truth about Aizen for months afterward? Have you watched her division suffer as she slipped in and out of her emotional turmoil? You have been a friend to her and more. Before she met you, Hinamori has never known what it is like to be admired by someone else. But do you know what Aizen once said: that admiration was the furthest emotion from understanding? How much do you really, truly understand her? You are loyal and honest, I'll grant you that; but also simple. Has she become __your__ 'Aizen', or do you believe that you will actually replace Aizen in her eyes?_

_You are a kind man, Hanatarou. But I have known Hinamori for years. And I fear for Hinamori, for her mental and emotional health and the stability of her division. I am sorry I must do this._

Hitsugaya waited for five minutes at the fountain, absorbed in his thoughts, before Matsumoto appeared. The two of them had to find Hanatarou, so that Hitsugaya could carry out his plans. And between them, they decided that no man would ever hurt Hinamori again and live to tell the tale.

Just then, they heard a distant booming noise. This was followed by a series of whistles and pops, and then another boom. Instinctively, the captain and lieutenant of the 10th Division turned to look at the headquarters of the 12th Division as the most logical source of any explosions. But the distant building was totally quiet. No flames shot out of the windows, and its main roof looked reasonably intact, insofar as it would be considering the amount of acidic substances, flames and explosive pressures it was subjected to on a regular basis.

Above them, they noticed that around two dozen shinigami, some in sleepwear; were now clustered on the top two balconies of a tall pagoda nearby. All of them were gazing at something in the distance and a few were pointing. Hitsugaya flash-stepped to the roof of the pagoda to see what was happening, and Matsumoto soon followed.

In the horizon, something was definitely happening in the sky above West Rukongai. Fireworks made of a combination of alchemical and magical pyrotechnics lit up part of the night sky. Periodically one or more balls of light would fly upwards and burst into a shower of multicoloured sparks; or fizz away into a spiral and trail glowing embers behind it as it did so. When he squinted, Hitsugaya could just make out the barrel of an enormous chimney among the buildings directly below.

_The Shiba clan's Kukkaku cannon._

He was beginning to have a very bad feeling about this. As he watched, a pattern; or a word, to be more precise, formed in the sky.

**_!!!""" Y """!!!_**

**_!!!""" E """!!!_**

**_!!!""" S """!!!_**

As if to confirm his fears, when the last of the golden sparks faded, Hitsugaya and all the shinigami present saw a large, deep pink fireball shoot directly upwards. It did not come out of the cannon, but was very close to it. Unlike the fireworks that came before, it made no whistling noise and did not explode into sparks; only dissipated into a warm, pink glow that slowly faded.

That could only have come from Tobiume; and it marked the end of the display.

Matsumoto turned to look at the frown on her captain's face. They might already be too late.

* * *

At the Shiba residence, Hanatarou sat motionless staring at the sky with an indescribable feeling welling up within him. He knew of no way to describe it, though one of Ichigo's phrases 'totally blown away' came somewhat close. If anyone looked at him at the moment, they would see his eyes were opened nearly as wide as his mouth; and there were tears in them. The food, roses and candles on the outdoor table were completely forgotten. Behind him, Hinamori did high-fives with Ganju and Kukkaku Shiba. Her answer was planned secretly; long before Hanatarou summoned the courage to ask. 

Like a man in a dream, Hanatarou slowly stood up. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that he only had a short time to do this; while the effects of the adrenalin and mulled wine could still override his shyness and inhibitions. Sobbing with joy, he walked over to Hinamori, flung his arms around her and pulled her close. Then he kissed her hard before burying his face in her neck. She wriggled to re-sheath her zanpakutou and wrapped herself around him as well. Kukkaku grinned at Ganju, reached over with a staff, and swept the couple's feet out from under them so that they fell onto the grass. As she expected, neither noticed.

Hinamori lay on top of Hanatarou now and nuzzled him as he lay helpless. And as Hanatarou half-laughed, half-cried into the embrace, he could hear her laughing too.


	8. Chapter 7

Hanatarou plodded back to the 4th Division through the near empty streets of Sereitei late that night. His back and shoulders ached from carrying the boxes and packs of items for his date with Hinamori, as well as parcels containing other souvenirs and letters from the human world. It seemed like every division took advantage of his recent trip to send or receive goods and messages from Ichigo and his friends; and the encounter with Matsumoto on his return did not give him enough time to take a rest or distribute the packages. So he'd long-sufferingly carried the entire load to and from the dinner in Rukongai. Then he had to follow Hinamori back to the 5th (since Orihime said that even if she was more powerful, it was a man's duty to see his girlfriend home). Clutching his lantern, he wearily swallowed an energy pill and trudged slowly towards the 6th Division to deliver what he was instructed to. Abarai Renji was to receive a new pair of sunglasses. Jushiro Ukitake was getting a crate of candy. Soifon would receive a photo album of nothing but Yoruichi. Bottles of pet shampoo awaited Sajin Kommamura. Many more bags, boxes and envelopes hung from Hanatarou's back.

Despite all this, the healer still wore a contented smile. Mostly, this was due to the silver engagement ring he now wore on his finger. The past year had been one of romance and happiness and he could look forward to many such years to come. So with his heart on other matters, Hanatarou paid little attention to his surroundings; and he did not know that he was not travelling alone.

* * *

An hour later, Hanatarou emerged from the mail room of the 3rd division, after he left behind the appropriate box of goods and documents. Unseen, Izuru Kira watched him from an upper floor. As usual, he hadn't been able to sleep; and so tried to bore himself by watching the comings and goings of the night shift working below. The keen-eyed lieutenant noted the glittering object on Hanatarou's finger and smiled. Then another movement a bit further away caught his eye. A very familiar, curvaceous figure with long hair and a full chest stalked into view. Now he frowned slightly. What did his friend want with Hinamori's new fiancé? He remembered the call he received from Hitsugaya-taichou earlier, and he grew puzzled. The woman trailing behind Hanatarou hadn't noticed him yet…perhaps he should go to ask her… 

Kira padded quietly down the nearest flight of stairs. Hanatarou was gone, and Matsumoto was nowhere in sight. Perhaps she had already gone past, but he looked about just in case. Then the blond man looked up and saw something else that made him freeze in a brief moment of absolute, disbelieving horror. He watched, paralysed in shock, as a tall, slim figure in a white robe slipped around a corner in the distance; before vanishing into the darkness at a brisk run.

Whoever it was carried no lantern, but even in the dim light, Kira could see the pale hair, slitted eyes and eerie smile on his face. Surely he hadn't just spotted _Ichimaru Gin_?!!

It's in moments like this that the human – no, shinigami – mind tends to shut down. Having had his spirit broken by the same man before, Kira's mind warred between the urge to kneel in subservience and the urge to tear out Gin's throat with his teeth. Veins bulged in his temples as the confused man let out a maddened howl. Completely forgetting about Hanatarou and Matsumoto, Kira drew his zanpakutou and gave chase.

* * *

At long last, Hanatarou reached the headquarters of the 10th Division. Somewhere in the shadows behind him, Matsumoto sent off a quick text message to her captain to signal his arrival. But as Hanatarou approached the mail room, he stopped in alarm. Huge quantities of reiatsu emanated from within. Captain-sized quantities. _They didn't give off that much unless they were mad._ Fighting the urge to turn tail and flee, he took Matsumoto's care package of perfume and cosmetics from his pack and opened the door with a shaking hand. As soon as he did so, he caught a brief glimpse of icy-blue eyes before a freezing cold hand closed around his wrist and pulled him inside. His scream was cut off by the slamming of the door behind him. 

"T-t-taichou…"

"Good evening, Hanatarou."

The pair was completely alone in the dark room. A stack of half-sorted mail sat on a nearby table. Hitsugaya released Hanatarou and watched incredulously as the healer robotically walked over to it and put the bag down on top, even while shaking like a leaf. The instinct to complete their assigned menial tasks was apparently ingrained into the 4th Division's psyche. When Hanatarou turned towards the captain, he found his foot sliding slightly. The terrified shinigami then noticed that much of the floor was covered with a thin film of ice.

"Have you been seeing Hinamori?"

"Yes." Hanatarou was dizzy with the sheer spiritual power that poured forth from the diminutive captain. He reached out to steady himself against a wall, only to find his hand sticking to it due to the frost.

"What have you done so far?"

Hanatarou didn't know how to answer. He couldn't lie to a captain, but on the other hand; did Hitsugaya have the right to ask? Hinamori surely had her right to privacy. He decided to play it safe…

"I went to the 6th division, then the 7th, and then the 13th…" He was abruptly cut off when a small hand grasped him by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

"AAAAHHH!!!"

"Don't play the idiot with me. What have you done with Hinamori so far?!"

Hanatarou held back a sob of terror. Somewhere in his subconscious, Hisagomaru whispered. _If you aren't going to die, you'd best tell the truth. If you are, well you can't stand to lose much more…_

"ANSWER ME!!!"

"I trained with her. I gave her gifts. I consoled her and kept her company. I…loved her." _That was it, I said it. Goodbye, cruel world…_

"Did you make love to her?"

"No." Hanatarou answered with absolute truth. The room temperature seemed to dip slightly as Hitsugaya paused, wondering what to ask next. Although he already knew that Hanatarou was honest, he still found it hard to believe that Hanatarou could share the same bed with Hinamori on many occasions over a whole year; and still not give in to the temptation. But he betrayed no look of surprise to his captive. Instead, he released Hanatarou; who now slipped and fell on the floor. The wretch was now trying to stand and failing miserably. Hitsugaya found himself in the unusual position of having to bend over to have a conversation. Speaking with a gentler tone, he began to reason with Hanatarou.

"Listen, it's not often that I speak like this to someone of your rank. Firstly, I have known Hinamori far, far longer than you have ever been a shinigami. You and I both know how Aizen has affected her. I will be honest with you…I don't know if she really sees you as a replacement for Aizen, and if you end the relationship, I have even less hope of seeing her mentally and emotionally whole again. I don't want her to be hurt. Second; look at yourself…you are the 7th seat of a non-combat division. How do you suppose you can protect her?" Hitsugaya turned his back on Hanatarou, and paced to the other side of the room. "You are a gentleman, even if a lovesick one. So I ask this of you. Leave Hinamori. Leave her before you hurt her."

"…"

"I beg your pardon?"

"No."

There was a long pause. Hitsugaya lowered his voice.

"You defy a captain's orders, Hanatarou. You know, I can so easily kill you…leave you on the street when I am finished so people will think you didn't manage to escape the 11th Division's thugs this time… and for all your show of courage,…Hinamori would never find out the truth. I'll give you a second chance, Hanatarou. _Leave_."

Another pregnant pause.

"_No_."

By now it was very cold, and Hanatarou shivered and watched his breath turn to steam in front of him. It took every shred of courage he had to keep answering truthfully; so much so that he wondered irrationally if he would see his own soul waft from his lips when Hitsugaya finally decided to end his life. The captain seemed to shrug in the silence of the room, lit only by the lantern on the floor where Hanatarou had dropped it.

"Very well…" The captain now slowly drew his zanpakutou. Hanatarou scrambled madly in the opposite direction. By some miracle, he found the handle of the door, which had escaped getting frozen rigid. He pulled on it to get to his feet, but doing so caused the handle to open the door. It swung outward and Hanatarou stumbled outside. Nearly mindless with terror, he fled into the night.

Behind him, Hitsugaya sighed and flash-stepped out. It seemed like an incredible waste of his power; to use it to coat the inside of a room with ice simply to frighten someone. Another saying of Aizen's s sprung to mind – 'It is hard to step on an ant without crushing it.' Almost lazily, he muttered the incantation for his shikai.

"_Sōten ni zase…"_

It was probably just as well that Hanatarou was too terrified to turn around to watch the dragon of Hyourinmaru bearing down on him.


	9. Chapter 8

While Hanatarou was trapped in the 10th Division headquarters with its captain, a different chase was unfolding only a short distance away; among the buildings of the 3rd Division. Izuru Kira was pursuing the night-time intruder that bore a striking resemblance to his former captain. His target was running at an incredible speed and had a decent headstart; even if Kira flash-stepped he would not be able to easily overtake him; and it would drain precious reserves of spiritual energy if doing so resulted in a fight. Kira was beginning to choke with exhaustion, but the lieutenant grimly kept up the pace. If Gin had truly returned to Soul Society, he vowed that only one of them would live to see the next morning.

Without a backward glance, the figure kept running. The pair sprinted through the dark and nearly-abandoned streets of Sereitei. To Kira's surprise, apart from his impressive speed, the man didn't seem to be trying to evade pursuit and didn't respond when Kira yelled a challenge; his breath ragged with exertion. For a while, Kira feared that Gin was trying to lure him into a trap. But then they passed the same grove of willow trees twice; and Kira realised that his target wasn't running anywhere in particular!

Suddenly, his prey swerved violently down a narrow alley which Kira knew to be a dead end. Most seated officers including himself could jump to an incredible height when compared to regular human beings; and he had no doubt that Gin could do so as well. Kira followed him down the alley without a second thought. Incredibly, the person bolted to the end of the alley, made a neat 180 degree turn, and rushed directly towards him.

Izuru Kira screeched to a thankful halt, bracing to strike the charging opponent. As the man turned around, Kira began to sense that something did not seem right about Gin, apart from his bizarre behaviour. For one thing, he'd never known Gin to put beads in his hair. Secondly, he was no longer smiling. And his zanpakutou was too long.

Lastly, for all the years he had known Ichimaru Gin, Kira had never, ever known his captain possessed _cleavage_. No matter how slight.

In a split second, Kira dropped his sword and grabbed _her_ wrists instead. They collided and the lightweight lieutenant flew backwards from the impact. Kotetsu Isane's eyes flew open, and a hoarse cry escaped her lips.

"OMELETTES…!!!"

For several, long moments, they stared at each other in stunned silence interrupted only by heavy panting. Isane, still quaking from her sleepwalking nightmare, was the first to stand. Brushing the dirt off her white nightgown, she offered her hand to help the stunned Kira to his feet. The two panic-stricken officers eventually broke into sheepish smiles and apologies. Then they were interrupted by a booming roar. Once they turned to the source of the noise, they were treated to the sight of a two hundred-foot ice dragon with glowing red eyes spiralling upwards into the sky. As they watched, it gracefully swooped downwards.

"Shit! Hanatarou's just gone towards the tenth! I saw him head off that way!" Kira exclaimed, pointing to where the dragon had disappeared from view. Isane shot a horrified glance towards him and darted off in exactly the same direction.

Kira ran to fetch Hinamori.

* * *

Hanatarou had seen the mighty dragon before. He'd seen it when the taichou summoned it back at Kurakara Town, during a battle outside the burger joint where he once worked. So when he felt the chill creeping up on him, he knew without turning around that his chances of survival were inestimably slim. And then, he tripped. 

_I'm sorry, Hinamori,_ the shinigami thought sadly, as the ground rushed up to meet him. He fell forward. Though he knew it would not save him from his ultimate fate, Hanatarou still instinctively flung his hands downward to push against the ground. Ironically, it seemed the fall had saved him. Hanatarou was treated to the rare sight of Hyourinmaru's dragon flying over his head; a solid column of ice and reiatsu that left frost and small icicles clinging to his clothes in its wake. He gave a silent scream as the serpentine beast passed barely a foot above him for its entire length. Once the tail passed, he scrambled to his feet in time to watch the dragon turn before it could hit a building some distance ahead. It rose into the sky again and paused, hovering before him. Perched on a nearby wall was Hitsugaya himself. There was no way he could deal with both. Hanatarou froze like a trapped rat, gasping to catch his breath.

"One last chance, Hanatarou. Will you leave Hinamori?"

Hanatarou opened his mouth to answer, but before he could do so, a pale figure in a nightgown materialised in front of him. Isane's lanky, sinewy form endowed her with natural swiftness. When augmented by shunpo, she approached an explosive speed rivalling that of many captains. Ignoring Hanatarou's look of surprise, she challenged Hitsugaya, teeth bared.

"If you spill one drop of Hanatarou's blood, I will kill you." Without turning around, she aimed a mule kick at the chest of the shinigami behind her, sending Hanatarou flying head over heels with a squeal to land in some bushes at the other side of the courtyard. She drew Itegumo, her sword; as Sereitei's tallest woman glared upwards at its shortest male. As Hanatarou picked himself up, Hitsugaya couldn't help but remember how familiar those words sounded…but he had no time to think of that now. He snarled with annoyance. The lieutenant's presence was inconsequential but also highly inconvenient. How best could he dispose her?

In one giant leap, he descended from his perch, with the dragon alongside. Isane spun to evade the dragon, but Hitsugaya lashed out with the chain attached to his zanpakutou. It wrapped itself around Itegumo, trapping Isane's weapon. Before the lieutenant could react, the dragon looped backwards and engulfed her legs up to the thighs, trapping the lieutenant herself in a solid mass of ice.

"Do not interfere," said Hitsugaya in a low monotone. _Who knew that the 4__th__ Divison had so much fight in it?_ With a final yank he wrenched Isane's zanpakutou from her grasp, sending it clattering across the courtyard and out of her reach. She continued to struggle impotently as Hitsugaya ran towards Hanatarou, who had now gathered his wits sufficiently to flee towards an open sewer access nearby. He called out to his saviour.

"Isane-fukoutaichou…!"

"Baka! I'm not dead yet! RUN!!!" Isane's hands now glowed with kidou, and she planted her hands against the ice as her lips began to intone the incantation needed to melt it.

Hanatarou dashed towards the manhole, helpless to assist. By some miracle, he reached it before Hitsugaya and leapt inside. It would be too cramped inside the drain for the dragon to fit, the ceiling being barely a couple of inches above his own head. Outside, Isane's hands began to sink into the ice as she worked to free herself, and water trickled down as it melted. She had to buy enough time for Hanatarou to escape, and Hitsugaya had his back to her. Isane realised the irony of having woken from one nightmare into another. But then the captain stopped and gave a barely perceptible nod in her direction.

Rangiku Matsumoto brought the hilt of her zanpakutou down smartly onto the back of Isane's head, and left the unconscious lieutenant to thaw at a much slower pace in the middle of the square.

* * *

Hanatarou kept fleeing through the sewer as filthy water splashed about his knees. Even without a lantern, he was able to travel confidently, for the drainage network and underground tunnels of Sereitei were familiar to most 4th Division members. He moved at a brisk jog, but could not avoid occasionally tripping over unseen things in the dark. Hanatarou fretted over Isane for a bit before consoling himself that he was the captain's primary target. She was too powerful and important for him to kill without arousing suspicion. Thanks to her sacrifice, he now had a chance of escape. Without having actually traversed them before, even a captain would have difficulty finding him in the maze of tunnels. 

He was headed towards what he liked to term the 'Central Chamber'. There, effluent water from each of the thirteen divisions converged into a circular room at the head of a larger tunnel. Once there, Hanatarou could try to make his way to either Hinamori or Unohana. He sighed deeply with relief as the immense reiatsu presence behind him faded into the distance. Soon, the only sounds to keep him company were the splashes at his feet and the thumping of his own heart; and he began to feel a little more hopeful as far as his immediate survival was concerned. Hinamori and Unohana would protect him.

So Hanatarou jumped and nearly knocked himself out on the ceiling when a loud beep interrupted his thoughts. An eerie blue light pierced the darkness, emanating from the centre of his chest. Drawing his cellphone out of his kimono, Hanatarou read the words on the glowing LCD screen.

_You have 1 new message!_

He pressed a button, and the screen filled with more text.

_R U ok? where R U? _

_We R comin, _

_- Kira n Hina_

The number it was sent from was indeed Kira's. Almost crying with relief, Hanatarou felt safe enough to stop running in order to reply.

* * *

**A/N**: It was hard to write Isane's character in battle as at this point in time, her capabilities are not well-defined in the canon storyline. So I've taken some creative licence to develop her character based on the canon. The only time she uses her shikai, she is instantly knocked out by Ichigo. What we do know is that the incantation for release is '_hashire_', which means 'sprint'. Given her physical build and rank and the fact that most lieutenants are capable of shunpo, I figured she could realistically be an extremely fast runner. She also knows enough kidou to perform a level 77 binding spell after Aizen's betrayal. 

And yes, she also gets strange nightmares, if the Shinigami Cup jokes are right. Nightmares and high speed combine to form the ultimate sleepwalker from hell IMO.


	10. Chapter 9

Hinamori scuttled down the long sewer tunnel that led out of the 5th Division headquarters, oblivious to growled curses from Kira who had smacked his head on the low ceiling for the twenty-seventh time. Each carried a sturdy hurricane lantern to light their way as they followed Hanatarou's directions to the large chamber that apparently lay ahead. A shallow stream of water flowed gently downward through the centre of the tunnel. Thanks to the illumination they carried, their progress was considerably faster than Hanatarou's; and it wasn't long before they heard the sound of rushing water in front of them.

They entered a large circular chamber lined with stone. The ceiling was higher here, and Kira stretched gratefully, rubbing his head. Thirteen small tunnels (including the one they emerged from) emptied into this chamber. Their contents merged into a pool that fed a stream which flowed out of the chamber through a much larger tunnel. The floor and walls were polished smooth from the passage of water and debris over countless centuries, and a slippery layer of dead leaves coated the bottom of the chamber. Fortunately, the tunnels did not conduct toilet waste and only the musty odour of decomposing vegetation hung in the air. When Hinamori turned to look behind her, she noticed a number '5' crudely etched into the wall besides the opening they had come from. The other tunnels were similarly labelled – apparently the 4th Division's members used the tunnel system often and maintained the engravings for their own convenience.

Several minutes later, Hanatarou arrived; emerging from the number '10' tunnel. He slunk out of the pitch darkness and into the glow of the lanterns. Heedless of his filthy state, he embraced Hinamori again and profusely thanked Kira. Shaking, he recounted what had happened just minutes before.

"He said he didn't want me to hurt you, and wanted me to leave. I refused."

Hinamori was in tears with disbelief. In turn, she described her encounter with Hitsugaya that morning; while Kira squatted on the floor and sulked as the pair tried to comfort each other and make sense of the captain's actions. Then something occurred to him.

"Hanatarou, are you sure that Hitsugaya didn't follow you?"

"Y-yes. I know…he could have. He can shunpo, and it would have been easy for him to get a lantern…I don't know why he didn't."

Hinamori spoke. "We need to get you somewhere safe. Which of these tunnels is the shortest? We can always rush you back…"

But she was interrupted by a prickling at the back of her neck. An unseen presence was now coming towards them from the largest tunnel, and she recognised the spiritual pressure instantly. Hitsugaya was coming. And as surely as she could sense his presence, he could sense hers. _Theirs_.

For Hanatarou, it was already too late to flee. Hinamori pushed him behind her and screamed into the darkness.

"Hitsugaya...!"

There was no answer. Hanatarou and Kira turned to look down the tunnel as the presence drew closer. They could feel it too, and Hanatarou readied himself in preparation for being torn limb from limb.

"Hitsugaya...why...?!!"

Her cries were met by complete silence. The reiatsu was now nearly overwhelming, and if they were aboveground, the trio would certainly have been able to see him. However, they carried the only source of light in the tunnels. It was clear that the captain did not need any light of his own to approach them. The scene had an atmosphere reminiscent of a horror movie; with an unseen terror creeping up on its helpless victims. You could almost hear the scary 'dum-dum, dum-dum...' music in the background.

Hinamori held back a sob. Quietly, she whispered to Kira. "Go now...it's not your fight." The blond shinigami turned to look at her but did not answer. She saw him narrow his visible eye and slide across the chamber to position himself around the corner of the opening. Clearly, he had no intention of abandoning them.

"Please leave us alone...Shiro-chan," Hinamori continued, softly now. Her voice carried a note of desperation. Hanatarou quietly reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. For some strange reason, he was no longer afraid. In his heart, he swore that he would not deny his love for her; even if it killed him, for he would not be able to live with his conscience otherwise. When he bent to kiss her cheek, she began to cry. Yet this gesture of reassurance seemed to spur her into action. Hinamori drew Tobiume and swung it in an arc before her. "_Hajike_...Tobiume," she uttered; and several fine prongs grew and extended along its length. It now glowed red. With a sharp intake of breath, Hinamori focused her will into her zanpakutou and fired a bolt of flame into the darkness.

The orb flew down the inside of the tunnel. Red light reflected off the walls and travelled down and away from them, illuminating the interior as it passed. Both Hanatarou and Hinamori caught a fleeting glimpse of Toshiro Hitsugaya as the fireball passed him. The captain strode towards them steadily and without pause. Even in the red glow cast by Tobiume's blast, they could see the colour of his eyes. They were the fierce blue of a desert sky and just as merciless. What was even more frightening was the fact that the captain now carried two swords. One of them was Isane's. Then the captain walked out of the darkness and into view. Kira leapt out with his sword drawn, but Hitsugaya casually raised Hyourinmaru and hit him with an icy blast at nearly point-blank range. With a strangled cry, the man fell back from the impact and into the pool of water in the centre of the chamber. Almost frozen stiff, he could only struggle to keep his head above water and watch.

Hitsugaya tossed Isane's sword before Hinamori and Hanatarou. He continued to advance. Almost hysterical now, Hinamori fired another bolt from Tobiume, but the captain flash-stepped to one side and evaded it without even blinking. Through all this, Hanatarou realized acutely his status as the most useless shinigami in the whole of Soul Society and despaired.

"I was interrupted the last time I asked you. Will you leave Hinamori?"

"Leave us alone...!" Hinamori brandished her zanpakutou, unwilling to desert her beloved or battle her best friend.

"SILENCE!"

"NO!" Hinamori was resolute. She stepped forward to fight him, but was stopped when a slender arm slid around her waist. Hanatarou was calm and he knew what he had to do. He spun Hinamori around and pulled her into a final embrace. Unable to help herself any longer, Hinamori wept into his arms; and he stroked her head.

"It's okay, Hinamori...," he said. All Hinamori could feel was the warmth of his body pressed against hers. She could smell him too; Hanatarou smelled of tenderness and love, of detergent and medicinal herbs, and an honest day's toil. Even as Hitsugaya entered his final release only several metres away and filled the room with a miniature blizzard, the lovers still embraced as they shared their last moments together. Hinamori no longer felt the cold; for warm, gentle hands held her close. Hanatarou would not let her be fearful, as long as he still lived.

"Thank you, Hinamori...Goodbye..." Hanatarou closed his eyes, tightened his grip, and impaled Hinamori on his sword.

* * *

The events that followed were fast and confused. Kira tried to flash-step out of the pool, but only succeeded in swallowing water. Hitsugaya roared with fury and leapt forward. For the second time in her life, Hinamori looked down with tearful eyes at the hilt of her lover's sword protruding from her midsection. For her, there had been the brief sensation of violent impact; and then there was no pain. She had been betrayed in the past, and didn't have the spirit left in her to feel angry or upset or shocked any more...

No fear or sadness...but wait,...no_... pain_??? Hinamori blinked and watched dumbstruck as Hisagomaru was withdrawn. As it slid out the way it came, she could feel the curious sensation of her pierced organs knitting themselves back together and healing over. The zanpakutou was glowing too. Red light reflected off Hanatarou's face as he spun around to face Hitsugaya who was bearing down on him.

"_Mitase_, Hisagomaru!"

The zanpakutou spun once in his grasp and shrunk, still glowing, until it was barely longer than his hand. Then Hanatarou pointed it forward and an immense wave of raw spiritual power burst forth, engulfing Hitsugaya. Just in time, the captain swung his wings forward to shield himself and shards of ice were blasted in every direction. The room and its occupants disappeared in a white cloud of freezing mist. Somewhere in the midst of the chaos, Hanatarou's voice could be heard shrilly calling out.

"I love Hinamori, and this is my final answer: NO!!!"


	11. Chapter 10

When the snow cloud finally settled, Hinamori stared at the hole in her kimono where the sword had entered. Hitsugaya unfurled his tattered wings and groaned while Kira clawed his way out of the slush-covered pool. Snow continued to fall for a few more seconds as Hanatarou opened his eyes very, very slowly.

He still held Hisagomaru in front of him, having been thoroughly trained by Hinamori to valiantly maintain a defensive position in the face of an uncertain battle. Barely six inches long now, the spirit of the zanpakutou-turned-scalpel gave a nervous giggle in the back of Hanatarou's mind.

Toshiro Hitsugaya sheathed his sword and spoke to Matsumoto as she emerged from the tunnel. "Well, I guess we can leave now. I've got what I came for, and it looks like none of them are in any condition to fight anyway," he said. His lieutenant crossed her arms over her ample chest and went over to Hinamori. Matsumoto peered at the front of the shorter lady's kimono and then at the back, noting the elliptical tear in the fabric on both sides as well as the unbroken flesh in between. Hinamori's jaw opened slightly in confusion; the first indication that she was in fact alive and not a shinigami-shaped popsicle.

"What's the matter, girl? Yoruichi got your tongue?" Matsumoto couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards her plight and tried to make light of the situation. Hinamori's gaze didn't waver, but deep 'uh……' sounds could be heard emanating from the back of her throat. Satisfied, Matsumoto turned to Hitsugaya and gave him the thumbs up. Operation Lovebirds had experienced unforeseen complications, but still emerged a resounding success. They began to leave, with Matsumoto pausing to affectionately break off the icicle hanging from the tip of Kira's nose along the way. Hitsugaya tilted his head over his shoulder to address the couple.

"You know Hanatarou, you really only had to refuse me three times. I would have been satisfied with that, but it turns out that you also have friends who will fight and die to protect you, and a woman who has brought out the best in you and is proud. You are not as weak or as useless as you think. For putting you through all that trouble, I want to say I'm sorry, and…congratulations." The captain and his lieutenant then walked away. As they did so, Matsumoto nudged Hitsugaya and bent to ask him something, and he nodded. She shouted behind her, "by the way, Isane is back at the fourth. Don't forget her zanpakutou!"

Hanatarou finally sheathed his weapon. Abruptly, he realised the real nature of the situation. _So it was just a test_, he thought. _Great_…But then, he still couldn't help feeling proud, of Isane, Kira and Hinamori; and just for once, himself. Speaking of Hinamori…_oh shit_…

Hanatarou spun around to face her.

He was just in time to watch Hinamori come back to life. She prodded the hole in her clothes with an unreadable expression on her face. In her mind flashed scenes of Aizen, and Hanatarou, and Aizen's sword, and Hanatarou's sword, and…_aargh_…he wasn't there so how could Hana-chan have possibly known exactly what happened? But dammit, no-one sticks a sword through _me_ and gets off without retribution…!

"Hanatarou…you… IDIOT..."

"I really sorry Hinamori-kun, I'll sew up the holes when we get back, I promise … no…ugh…_waaaaah_…!!!"

As she wrestled the innocent, squirming Hanatarou to the ground and started tickling, Kira shook the last of the icicles from his hair and clothes, walked across the chamber and picked up Isane's sword.

* * *

"Do you think they will forgive us?" Matsumoto asked, "You risked losing your friendship with her by pushing Hanatarou so far." The 10th Division leaders had reached their headquarters. Hitsugaya walked in silence the whole while, deep in thought. He had to agree that using his bankai on Hanatarou was definitely excessive. But then he hadn't expected interference from the other three; especially considering that Hinamori and Kira had experienced his fighting prowess firsthand and would instantly know when he was holding back. And the healer had also earned his complete respect. He pondered the situation gravely, before coming to a decision.

"She will be angry with me for a long time, but I think she will forgive me," Hitsugaya replied; subconsciously reaching deep into his pockets, "after all, I'm paying for the wedding..."

Matsumoto glowed with excitement. She would organise it. She'd get that _sweet_ Quincy to sew the wedding gown, and make sure all the ryoka were invited. It would be held at the 5th Division, and all of Hanatarou's squad could come too, along with Unohana and Isane. They could have Urahara's gang, the Shiba eccentrics (and their fireworks); Rukia and her captain; the terrible foursome of Renji, Kira, Shuuhei and Iba, and any other friends the couple wanted to invite…and there would be food, glorious food prepared by herself and Orihime _whether the others liked it or not_; with a five-tiered creamy fruitcake made by Yumichika; and a humongous two-hundred foot dragon-shaped ice sculpture that she could surely charm her captain into making…and there would be games, oh yes… _drinking_ games, with lots of sake and tequila and brandy and whisky and vodka and wine and cider and beer and…

Hitsugaya interrupted her rambling and glowered. "Go easy on the alcohol," he grumbled, "One, I doubt Hinamori and Hanatarou are the binge drinking type, and it is_ their_ party. Two, we don't want to attract 11th Division gatecrashers. Three, I am paying. Four…_I __am__ paying_…"

"Excellent!"

* * *

Several months later…

"Wake up…hey, wake up!"

"……zzzz…"

"Please get up, the ceremony is today!"

"zzzzzz…"

"I am a medic. I can tell when you're pretending…"

"zzz…" A bleary eye opened. "…Psst…"

"Get. Up. This. Inst-……what is it?"

"(yawn) _Shhh_…or they'll hear you…"

"Huh…? Who?"

"The……OMELETTES!!!"

As Isane hissed malevolently and rained dozens of blows on him with her pillow, Kira smirked into the sheets and decided that he could forgive Hanatarou for almost giving him a case of severe hypothermia, courtesy of Toshiro-taichou; that night in the sewers months ago. Aside from the fact that Isane now slept like a log, he was also enjoying the most restful sleep he'd had in decades and waking up each day to the simple joys of life and love. With a sigh, Hanatarou's best man pushed himself off the bed and joined the bridesmaid in readying their respective charges for the day's celebration. They needed the experience in preparation for their own to come.

* * *

So our story ends happily; with Hanatarou and Hinamori exchanging their vows at a grand celebration; on the head of a magnificent ice dragon that was long enough to completely encircle the hall. Kisuke Urahara would later remark that it not only bore a striking resemblance to Hyourinmaru; it wore a slightly pained expression as well. He decided that the presence of one orange-haired shinigami leading six Gotei 13 lieutenants and several other guests in a drunken conga line over its entire length might have had something to do with it. Some members of the 11th division got involved anyway; but under the tyrannical supervision of their fifth seat who put them to task assisting in the creation of a perfectly _beautiful_ cake that was larger than their captain. It was probably for the best considering that most of the guests were unsure of how to politely deal with generous servings of fried apple slices and chocolate-coated sushi. Jushiro Ukitake had surprised everyone by being not only well enough to attend, but also acting as the official celebrant; and Hanatarou only tripped twice when walking down the aisle towards him in unfamiliar dress shoes.

Later that night, Hinamori undressed, hung her hand-embroidered silk wedding gown in her cabinet and turned to face Hanatarou. He sat bare-chested with his arms around his knees on her bed; with a ruddy glow on his cheeks that indicated a mixture of acute shyness mixed with adoration. She sat by his side and held him until he was relaxed enough to lie back. Then Hinamori reached forward to extinguish the bedside lamp before allowing her hands to travel further.

She wondered if Hanatarou considered himself a better man than her former captain. The differences were many, but one stood out in particular. Only one man; a sincere, humble shinigami called Yamada Hanatarou; could hold her hand and actually provide the gentle push needed to bring the true Momo Hinamori out of her shell.

Sosuke Aizen could push up daisies instead.

* * *

**A/N**: Well, that's the end of my first multi-chaptered fic. Writing this ending has been both enjoyable and a huge challenge; plus this is also my first real love story. I was afraid of making Hitsugaya or Matsumoto too OOC as I don't understand their characters very well, but I tried…I'm attracted to unusual themes in fiction and unusual pairings in romance and would probably attempt more uncommon stuff in the future. Think of it as 'filling in the gaps' between the popular stuff. I did consider writing a Isane/Kira fic before but could not find the inspiration…then Hanatarou and Hinamori gave me the perfect excuse to let the pairing exist somewhere, even if it wasn't a fic by itself. Thank you for all the reviews; some of them have provided me with inspiration for writing later chapters!

Other: Yumichika, Hanatarou and cakes feature rather strongly in one filler episode. Matsumoto is the only person thus far who likes Orihime's bizarre cooking. The dragon of Hyourinmaru is an extension of Hitsugaya's reiatsu, so I thought it wasn't a big stretch to also have it reflect his current sentiments as well.:P


End file.
